SURGE READY TO ‘BRING HOME’ EUROPEAN TITLE

The Stuttgart Surge have achieved the first goal they set themselves after the heartbreak of losing at the semi-final stage of the European League of Football championship last season, but now face a bigger challenge if they are to end the 2025 campaign in style.

This Sunday, the Surge will return to the ELF Championship Game for a second time — having lost to 2024 conquerors Rhein Fire in the 2023 final — but find themselves up against another #1 seed as they face the Vienna Vikings for the first time this season. Stuttgart may be on home soil, with the final at MHP Arena just a matter of miles from their regular venue, but know that, not only will they be facing the best team of the season, but also a far from partisan crowd, with over 30,000 tickets having already been sold for the game.

The Vikings are in the championship game for the third time, after appearing in both 2022 and 2024. On their first visit, the Austrian side triumphed over the Hamburg Sea Devils to win the ELF title at their first attempt, but their return last season saw them go down to the Fire in the heart of Rheinland.

The coaching match-up this weekend is particularly intriguing, with Surge head coach Jordan Neuman having been offensive coordinator for the Vikings under Chris Calaycay between 2011 and 2013. Together, they won the Austrian Bowl in 2012 and 2013, as well as the Eurobowl in Neuman’s final year. Now, the two former colleagues will face off as rivals in the battle for the biggest prize in European football.

“We’re in the final, and that’s what we’ve been working toward since the last match day of our 2024 season,” Neuman emphasised. “In front of a breathtaking backdrop and our fans and families in Stuttgart, we will invest and sacrifice everything we have to bring the trophy here to Stuttgart. We want to finally bring it home!”

The Surge will be counting on the support of its Stuttgart-area fans, who are exected to fill the MHP Arena with the sort of noise that has accompanied the team on its way to the doorstep of the greatest triumph in franchise history. That much was apparent in Munich last weekend, when Neuman’s team secured its place in the Championship Game with a 27-13 victory over the higher-seeded Ravens.

If only around 500 Stuttgart fans travelled to Unterhaching to provide vocal support, it sounded like more, turning the semi-final into a real away spectacle.

The game started evenly, with both offenses having to hold their own against strong defensive lines before Chris Mulumba sacked Munich quarterback Russell Tabor and Mike Harley Jr’s strong punt return put the Surge in excellent field position at the Munich 28. Running backs Kai Hunter and Albert Weisigstrauch marched forward determinedly before quarterback Reilly Hennessey ran the ball into the end zone himself.

The Surge initially controlled the game, driven by their defense — with early tackles by Luis Leatherman, Mulumba and both Ben Wenzler and Mitch Fettig in the seconday. However, shortly before the end of the first quarter, Tabor managed to break through the Stuttgart defense and tie the game with a run to paydirt. In the second quarter, Stuttgart continued to dominate on offense. Hennessey threw a

55-yard pass to Harley Jr, that brought the Surge deep into the opponent’s territory but, instead of the hoped-for touchdown, the drive ended with an interception by Ravens safety Cole Coleman. The Surge defense was undeterred, however, stopping the subsequent Munich attack with strong teamwork from Simon Butsch, Sasan Jelvani and the Siebert brothers, before a good punt by the Ravens forced Stuttgart back to their own two-yard line.

Nevertheless, the Surge offense marched straight back down the field, the drive highlighted by Louis Geyer’s spectacular one-handed catch, and, shortly before halftime, Hennessey found Harley Jr in the end zone to make the score 14-7 at the interval. After half-time, the old football adage proved true once, with offense winning games, but defense winning championships as Stuttgart dominated on both sides of the ball. The defense started strong with Luca Siebert, Raheem Wilson, and Lasse Engel stopping Munich in their tracks, and Hennessey capitalised by throwing deep balls to both Harley Jr and Geyer before RB Tomiwa Oyewo scored a touchdown against his former team. With the extra point blocked and the score now 20-7, the Ravens’ offense responded, with running back Justin Rodney and Tabor gaining yardage before Tabor scored his second touchdown. When the Surge special teams unit blocked the extra point attempt, the game resumed a status quo, forcing Stuttgart to finally seal the deal inn the fourth quarter.

Wenzler picked off a Tabor pass to initiate the decisive drive and, with passes to Harley Jr and Geyer, Hennessey was able to lead his team deep into the Ravens’ half before completing the drive with a quarterback sneak to make the score 27-13. The defense remained uncompromisingly tight in the final minutes, with Wenzler, Fettig remaining watertight and Mulumba and Robert Lachmann sacking Tabor. Raheem Wilson closed down gaps, just as the Surge closed down Munich’s season.

“I am very proud of my team,” Neuman admitted. “We controlled the game today and managed to contain Munich’s offense, especially their quarterback. Now it’s time to fulfill our dream of winning the final in front of our home crowd and lifting the trophy. We know how much work lies ahead, and we’re going to get started right away.”